Let’s rewind the clock to December 2023.

I was flicking through one of Paul Millerd’s newsletters when I spotted this intriguing line:

“Submissions:  Want to share your journey with my audience?  I accept drafts for submission”

(by the way - if you don’t know who Paul is, you’re missing out.  His book The Pathless Path opened my eyes to a completely new way of thinking about work & careers and I can’t recommend it enough)

I dropped Paul a line and asked if he’d be interested in my “Back to Work” story. 

It’s an interesting and unusual story.  Not many people burn out, quit their banking job, spend two years soul-searching and then decide to go back to the exact same banking job as before.

Luckily for me, Paul said he was open to a draft.

That weekend I trotted along to a local coffee shop in the middle of deepest darkest Shoreditch, ordered a flat white and got to work. 

As I typed, it felt clunky.  The words weren’t really coming. 

I thought a short break might help me get in the zone so I fired up a poker video on YouTube.

Six videos later, I returned to the article and started typing again.

But it was a battle to write even a few sentences.  It felt like pulling teeth with a pair of tweezers.

So what did I do?

I gave up. 

I left the coffee shop and forgot all about it. 

Not just for a day or a week but for months.

For whatever reason, the article popped back into my head in August.  This time, it felt light and energising.  I was buzzing to write it.

I got to work and my fingers could barely keep up with the speed at which my mind was generating ideas.

Long story short, it took 9 months to write a 2,649 word article.

I’m sure Dickens would spit out his tea at this.

Yet rather than my slow-cooked article being some sort of failing or a sign that something went wrong, the article's been a roaring success.

Over the weekend, I’ve had 30 or 40 emails from readers telling me they enjoyed the article, reflecting on their own career journeys, sharing interesting titbits and asking me thought-provoking questions.

I also got a bunch of new sign-ups for this newsletter (and there's still a steady tricklecoming through).

Looks like 9 months was just the right pace for this piece.  

And you know what?

It seems to me more & more that events unfold when they’re supposed to and the only thing that disrupts this is thinking I know better.

Turns out I don’t (even if I think I do!)

It’s not forcing myself or second-guessing myself that makes everything click.

Instead, it’s when I relax, let go and allow the process to unfold.

Of course, we don’t always have 9 months.

In the office, most work seems to be needed before the person requesting the work has even asked for it.

But it’s still remarkable how often the ideas flow when I let go of a challenge or problem rather than try to force it.

Something to chew on perhaps.

That’s all for today.

 - Tom

p.s. do you know anyone else who welcomes guest stories for their newsletter or platform? 

I’d love to connect with other audiences who are interested in topics like careers, burn out, work/life balance and fulfilment.

If someone comes to mind, could you hit reply and let me know?  I’d be genuinely grateful.